Former TV anchor says Spacey sexually assaulted her son

BOSTON — A former TV news anchor said Wednesday that Kevin Spacey sexually assaulted her teenage son at a Nantucket restaurant and that police are investigating.

Heather Unruh told reporters that her son, who was 18 at the time, was “star struck” when he met the “House of Cards” actor at the Club Car Restaurant in July 2016. Unruh said Spacey bought her son “drink after drink” and then stuck his hand down the teen’s pants and grabbed his genitals.

Unruh said her son panicked and was unable to remove Spacey’s hand from his pants. Spacey ultimately left to use the bathroom and when he was out of sight, Unruh’s son ran away at the urging of a concerned woman who was nearby, she said.

Unruh said her son didn’t report the assault at the time because he was embarrassed and knew it would bring a lot of attention. She said her family agreed to come forward now because the “climate has changed” after others have gone public with allegations of sexual misconduct against Spacey and other celebrities.

A lawyer for Spacey didn’t immediately return an email on Wednesday.

“Shame on you for what you did to my son,” Unruh said through tears.

Unruh’s son filed a report with police last week, and she said a criminal investigation has begun.

Nantucket police said they couldn’t confirm an investigation, because sexual assault reports are confidential.

Unruh’s allegation comes on the heels of several other allegations made against Spacey, which caused Netflix to cut ties with the actor and suspend production on its sixth season indefinitely. The company also scuttled its Gore Vidal biopic, with Spacey starring as the author.

In a recent interview with BuzzFeed, actor Anthony Rapp said Spacey made sexual advances on him during a party in 1986, when he was 14. At the end of the night, an inebriated Spacey picked him up, placed him on his bed and climbed on top of him, Rapp said. Rapp said then-26-year-old Spacey was holding him down tightly, but he was able to get away and left the apartment.

Spacey has said he doesn’t remember the encounter but apologized if such “drunken behaviour” occurred.

Harry Dreyfuss, the son of actor Richard Dreyfuss, also has said that Spacey groped him in 2008 when he was 18 while his father was rehearsing a play at Spacey’s London apartment.